One of the more controversial areas in the stem cell field has been over a stem cell type that only a handful of researchers have been able to find and study: very small embryonic-like stem cells or VSELs. These days some are calling them V-cells too. I’ve been getting an increasing number of questions from […]
What are VSELs and why are more clinics selling them? Read More »
I have some interest in robotic surgery. About three and a half years ago I had surgery for prostate cancer and my surgeon used the da Vinci robotic surgery device made by Intuitive Surgical Inc (ISRG). At the time, da Vinci seemed new and exciting, but the device and the company have become more well-known
Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) Gets Problematic FDA Inspection Report Read More »
In 2012 there was some grumbling about that year’s Annual ISSCR Meeting in Japan. If fact in last year’s polling only about 33% of people collectively felt positively about the meeting and by the far the top answer for rating the 2012 ISSCR Annual Meeting was “So so” at 43%. What about this year’s 2013
Polling: ISSCR 2013 meeting clearly better than last year’s Read More »
Is Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) on the road to cure Multiple Sclerosis (MS) using stem cells and specifically MSCs? Some folks seem to think it’s quite possible, but I remain skeptical. Still there have been some interesting developments. ACT has a relatively new patent filing for a mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) product that was just
ACT patent filing for MSCs: of Dancing Mice & Multiple Sclerosis Read More »
Remember Hisashi Moriguchi? He’s the fellow who claimed to have transplanted cells made from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells into human patients, to have worked at Harvard, and so forth. It all turned out not to be true. He even admitted it. Now Moriguchi is back in the news. He has several more papers published
Hisashi Moriguchi 2.0: more papers, more claims, and a new mysterious co-author Read More »
Should a company be able to have a gene patent and more generally and practically speaking can genes be patented? Patent and IP issues always raise a myriad of questions so what about a patent case on a company called Myriad? Complicated, right? If genes in their natural form cannot be patented, does that mean
Myriad SCOTUS Decision: Can you have a gene patent? Read More »
I worry that NASA is suffering from apophenia and pareidolia. Both acute and chronic cases. What the heck? Let me explain. Do you ever look up at the clouds and see fluffy animals? Or maybe other things that clouds look like such as a train, plane, or a dragon? Pareidolia is the tendency of people
NASA suffering from pareidolia & apophenia? The watery science of Mars Read More »
It’s not every day I get a letter from prison. This blog has sure put me in some interesting spots over the years such as meeting with Texas Guv Rick Perry. It happened again today. I got a letter from someone in prison (see above). I have obscured the prisoner’s name. I hope there’s no
TGIF Poll: Do I open the letter from prison? Read More »
Today’s post is an interview I did with Dr. Van Bokkelen covering 10 questions. Dr. Gil Van Bokkelen is Chairman and CEO of Athersys, Inc., a company that has focused heavily on stem cells and regenerative medicine for more than a decade. For more on Dr. Van Bokkelen’s background see additional bio section at the end of
Interview with Gil Van Bokkelen of Athersys Read More »
One of the great areas of confusion over the human cloning development this week is whether human cloning is legal or illegal. With few exceptions, human cloning in general is legal in the US. Update: in 2020 it still appears that reproductive human cloning is legal in the US. It just hasn’t gotten that much
Deja you: human cloning generally legal in the US Read More »